Empty plastic soft drink bottles and the smaller, pocket-sized liquor variants were among the items of trash volunteers from S&S Worldwide picked up Monday along some of Colchester’s downtown streets.

It was part of the Colchester company’s fifth annual Clean to the Green effort, held, appropriately, on Earth Day.

Groups fanned out on foot from the company’s Mill Street headquarters and took different routes to the green, including Norwich Avenue, Pleasant Street, Elm Street and Lebanon Avenue.

Cigarette butts were another big trash offender on the sidewalks of Colchester.

“We see them all the time,” said Rebecca Muscarella, one of about 50 employees who formed small teams that collected litter.

When a team’s bag was full, it was left on the sidewalk for an S&S facilities crew led by Jay Rogers to pick up. Rogers also supplied the employees with lunch and snacks on the town green after the cleanup.

There were some unusual bits of debris collected, such as a sign advertising a business, a glove and even a tattered American flag.

Amy Garvin, of Hebron, said she’s seen her share of oddities over the years.

“We’ve found lots of nips, beer bottles, some diapers,” she said. “Pretty gross.”

The work of S&S Worldwide in the Clean to the Green program has earned the company recognition from the state.

In previous years, the company’s cleanup walk and other eco-friendly efforts have earned it the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s GreenCircle Award.

In addition to community outreach events such as the Clean to the Green, S&S maintains an active recycling program, promotes earth-friendly manufacturing and distributes products made with renewable resources, the company said.